Bangladesh to free 1000 prisoners from overcrowded jails

Dhaka: Bangladesh is set to free nearly
1,000 long-serving prisoners to ease pressure on the country`s
crammed jails, a home ministry official said on Wednesday.

Bangladesh`s 67 prisons currently accommodate three times
their capacity, with 77,000 prisoners in facilities designed
for a maximum of 28,000 people.
"We have drawn up a list of nearly 1,000 well-behaved
prisoners who have already served 20 years and will release
them to ease overcrowding in our jails," home ministry
secretary Iqbal Khan Chowdhury told AFP.

The home ministry will send the release order to the
prison authorities today, Chowdhury said, adding that the list
will include a number of female prisoners.
Prison overcrowding is particularly severe in women`s
facilities. Dhaka`s central jail is currently holding 540
female prisoners, although the facility has capacity for only
134 people.